Reversing-valve for steam-engines.



F. L. FRY. REVERSINGVALVB FOR STEAM ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1909.

Patented Dec.28, 1909.

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P. FRY. REVERSING VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED 311N119. 1909.

944,960, Patented Dec.28,1909.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z. 7 19 9 17 STTES PATENT FRANK L. FRY, OF BALTIMORE,MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN C. GROSS AND ONE-THIRD TO OLIVERW. KAHLER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

REVERSING-VALVE FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. FRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Reversing-Valves for Steam-Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in reversing valves for steamengines and has for its object to simplify the mechanism of reversingvalves and dispense with many of the parts at present in use for thepurpose of reversing.

lVith this object in View, the invention consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts of reversing valvemechanism hereinafter fully described and afterward specificallyclaimed.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention,I will now proceed to fully describe its construction and operationhaving reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of so much of a steam engine,having my improvements attached thereto, as is necessary to theunderstanding of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the mechanismbelow the steam chest with the reversing valves in their right handpositions, in which the engine will run forward. Fig. 3' is a similarview with the reversing valves in their left hand positions, to run theengine backward. Fig. 4 is a similar view with the reversing valves intheir central positions, in which they will operate as throttle valves,and stop the engine. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on a planepassing centrally through the steam chest, and through the reversingvalve plate and cylinder 0n the broken line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is asimilar view, the plane through the lower parts being on the broken line6 6 of Fig. 3, the lower part of the cylinder being broken away. Fig. 7is a similar view, the plane through the lower parts being on the brokenline 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Like parts in all the figures are indicated by the same referencecharacters.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 1 indicates the cylinder and 2the piston therein which is connected in the usual manner by means of apiston rod 3 and pitman 4 with the crank 5 of the main shaft of theengine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 19, 1909.

Patented Dec. 28, 1969.

Serial No. 503,214.

Mounted above the cylinder is the steam chest 7 in which is arranged toreciprocate the usual slide valve 8 connected by a rod 9 with an arm 10projecting laterally from a shaft 11 having a downwardly projecting arm12 to which is secured the rod of an eccentric 13 mounted on the mainshaft in the usual manner. The main shaft may also carry a fly wheel 14.The bottom 15 of the steam chest is provided with a port 16 near one endand a port 17 near the opposite end. The steam chest is separated fromthe cylinder by means of a plate 19, in which are formed two spaces 20and 21, a port 22 leading from the space 20 into the right hand end ofthe cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2, and a port 23 leading to the left handend of the cylinder, while from the space 21 a port 24 leads to theright hand end of the cylinder and a port 25 to the left hand end of thecylinder. A reversing valve 26 is seated in the space 20 while a similarvalve 27 is seated in the space 21, these valves being mounted upon arod 28 which is connected at its outer end to a lever 29 pivoted at 30and adapted to be moved by said lever to three different positions andheld in either of said positions by means of a pawl 31 engaging innotches 32, 33, 34, or a curved rack 35 rigidly secured to the frame ofthe engine. The rod 28 passes entirely through the plate 19 from end toend, and may be provided with similar lever mechanism on its oppositeend so as to be operable from both positions.

hen the engine is running, its action will not be interrupted by thevalves 26 and 27, no matter in which of the outer positions these valvesmay be located, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, and 3 and 6, but steamwill be prevented from passing into the cylinder through any of theports 22, 23, 24 or 25, when the valves 26 and 27 are in their centralpositions, as shown in Fig. 7. In this position the reversing valves 26and 27 become throttle valves by means of which the engine can bequickly stopped in an emergency. \Vhen the valves 26 and 27, and theslide valve 8 are in their right hand positions, as shown in Figs. 2 and5, steam entering from the steam chest 7 will pass through the port 16,space 20 and port 23 to the left hand end of the cylinder, and will beexhausted from the right hand end of the cylinder through port 24, space21, port 17, exhaust space 35 in slide valve 8 110w moves to its lefthand position, which closes port 16 and opens port 17 so that steam fromthe steam chest will pass through port 17, space 21 and port 24 towardthe right hand end of the cylinder, forcing the piston of the left andcompleting its reciprocation, the steam being exhausted from the lefthand end of the cylinder through port 23, space 20, port 16, exhaustspace 35 and exhaust pipe 36.

To reverse the engine, the reversing valves 26 and 27 will be moved fromthe positions of Figs. 2 and 5 to those of Figs. 3 and (5, when, withthe slide valve 8 in the position of Fig. 2, steam will pass from thesteam chest through port 16, space 20 and port 22 to the right hand endof the cylinder, and be exhausted through port 25, space 21, port 17,exhaust space and exhaust pipe 36, and when the slide valve has passedto its left hand position, it will cover port 16 and uncover port 17,and steam will pass from the steam chest through port 17 space 21 andport 2st, into the right hand end of the cylin der, and then completethe reversed reciprocation of the piston.

From the-foregoing it will be obvious that the movement of the reversingvalves 26 and 27 from the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 5 to thoseshown in Figs. 3 and (3, or from the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 6 tothose shown in Figs. 2 and 5, will reverse the motion of the engine,these valves being held in either of those positions by means of thespring pawl 3i and curved rack, as before described. hen, however,occasion may require that the engine be quickly throttled, the lever 29is quickly thrown from one of these end positions to the centralposition, in which position it will be held by the spring pawl 31engaging in the notch 33, and the valves 26 and 27 will then be inposition to close the ports 22, 23, 24C and 25 and prevent the entranceof steam from the steam chest into the cylinder.

This construction is extremely simple and the introduction of the plate19, with its valve spaces, between the cylinder and steam chest and thevalves supported therein on rod 28, renders the assemblage andseparation of the parts very easy, the cylinder, steam chest and platebeing held in position by ordinary bolts, and readily detachable fromeach other.

The simplicity and economy of the invention will be obvious and I desireit to be understood that minor variations might be made in theconstruction of the various parts without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In an engine, the combination with the cylinder having suitable portsin its upper wall, the steam chest having suitable ports in its lowerwall, of a plate between the upper wall of the cylinder and the lowerwall of the steam chest and provided with cut away spaces, a rod passingentirely through said plate, and valves on said rod in the cut awayspaces of said plate, substantially as described.

2. The combination in an engine, with a cylinder having two sets ofports in its upper wall near each end thereof, one of each set of portsleading to each end of the cylinder, the steam chest above the cylinderhaving a single port in its bottom wall near each end thereof, a slidevalve in the steam chest, a plate mounted on the top of the cylinder,supporting the steam chest, and provided with spaces communicatingbetween the single port in each end of the bottom wall of the steamchest and the double ports in the same end of the top wall of thecylinder, a pair of reversing valves, one located in each of said spacesof the separating plate and connected for sil'nultaneous movement, andmeans for sliding the reversing valves in said spaces to either end orthe middle thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK L. FRY.

Vitnesses S. Bnasnnans, A. Coormr.

